Bourbon Women Association

What Bourbon Women Association does

Bourbon Women Association is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 2011 to support women bourbon enthusiasts and women working in the bourbon and spirits industry. The organization operates a multi-product platform anchored by its tiered individual membership program (1-Year, 2-Year, 5-Year, and Lifetime options), the annual SIPosium national conference drawing 500+ attendees, and the SIP Scholars scholarship program administered through the affiliated Bourbon Women Education Foundation. Supporting offerings include the Peacock Preferred Bottle Club, whiskey education content (recipes, tasting notes, pairing guides), and a Shopify e-commerce storefront for branded merchandise and books.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. Seven active regional branch chapters (Michigan, Chicago, Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, Tennessee, Texas, Washington DC) provide local engagement, while flagship national events — SIPosium, the Women of Whiskey Awards, and the Not Your Pink Drink cocktail competition — drive membership conversion, sponsorship acquisition, and brand visibility. Distribution runs through a self-serve community portal, third-party event ticketing via Expologic, and direct e-commerce.

Revenue is generated from four primary streams: individual membership subscriptions (recurring), event ticket sales (one-time), annual corporate partnership and sponsorship bundles with 50+ bourbon industry partners including Beam Distilling, New Riff, Heaven Hill, Michter's, Buffalo Trace, and Bardstown Bourbon Company (recurring), and retail merchandise sales via Shopify (transaction). The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors led by Chair Carol A. Otto, with a small operational staff of 1-10 employees under Managing Director Heather Wibbels. No external parent, private equity, or institutional investor ownership is present, and the organization operates independently as a nonprofit association.

Name

Bourbon Women Association

Legal name

Bourbon Women Association

Website

https://bourbonwomen.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bourbon Women Association is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 2011 that serves women bourbon enthusiasts and women in the spirits industry through a tiered membership program, regional branch chapters across seven US regions, the annual SIPosium national conference, and the SIP Scholars scholarship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Spirits Industry Community

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Women bourbon community
• Spirits industry association
• Bourbon education events
• Bourbon industry mentorship
• Craft whiskey membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions with tiered options including 1-Year, 2-Year, 5-Year, and Lifetime Membership. Members receive exclusive benefits including event discounts (e.g., $70 discount to SIP weekend tickets), access to member-only resources, and partner discounts.
2. Event Tickets and Programs: Revenue from ticket sales to flagship events including SIPosium National Conference, educational workshops, and competitions.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Annual sponsorships and corporate partnership bundles that include partnership benefits, event sponsorship, and SIP sponsorship benefits. Partners include major bourbon brands like Beam Distilling, New Riff, Whiskey Thief, Hard Truth, and 50+ corporate partners.
4. Retail Sales: Peacock Preferred Bottle Club and Shopify storefront selling merchandise, books, and branded items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bourbon Women Association is a nonprofit membership association that delivers a tiered individual and corporate membership program, the annual SIPosium national conference, the SIP Scholars scholarship and mentorship program, regional branch chapters across multiple US cities, whiskey education content, the Peacock Preferred Bottle Club, an online merchandise shop, and the affiliated Bourbon Women Education Foundation. It exists to advance, educate, and connect women in the bourbon and spirits industry through events, networking, and professional development.

Product overview

Bourbon Women Association is a community organization offering a unified membership-based platform centered around its core membership program. The portfolio includes the annual SIPosium national conference, the SIP Scholars scholarship program for women in the spirits industry, the Peacock Preferred Bottle Club for exclusive bottle access, local branch chapters across multiple regions, corporate membership and sponsorship programs, whiskey education resources, the BW Foundation for charitable initiatives, and an online shop. These offerings work together to create a comprehensive ecosystem supporting women's engagement, education, and advancement in the bourbon and spirits industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Tiered individual subscription membership (1-Year, 2-Year, 5-Year, Lifetime) for women bourbon enthusiasts and industry professionals, providing access to events, education, networking, partner discounts, and member-only resources such as a $70 discount to SIP weekend tickets.
• SIPosium National Conference Annual national conference drawing 500+ women with VIP distillery tours, exclusive dinners, hands-on workshops, the Women of Whiskey Awards, and networking with industry leaders; ticketed through the Expologic registration platform.
• SIP Scholars Program Scholarship program for women pursuing bourbon industry careers, providing SIPosium access, mentorship pairing with industry professionals, exclusive events, financial support for ticket and lodging costs, and a three-year membership.
• Local Branch Chapters Local chapter network (Michigan, Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, Washington DC, Tennessee, Texas, Chicago, Indianapolis) hosting regional tastings, festivals, and social gatherings for Bourbon Women members.
• Corporate Membership / Sponsorship Program Corporate partnership and annual sponsorship program for bourbon brands and distilleries offering tiered bundles with partnership benefits, event sponsorship, and SIP sponsorship benefits for marketing exposure and access to female bourbon consumers.
• Peacock Preferred Bottle Club Membership-tier offering providing exclusive bottle access and shop benefits for Bourbon Women members interested in curated whiskey offerings.
• Online Shop Shopify-based e-commerce storefront selling bourbon-themed merchandise, books, glassware, and Bourbon Women branded items to members and the broader public.
• Bourbon Women Education Foundation Affiliated charitable arm (Bourbon Women Education Foundation) focused on championing women in the beverage alcohol industry through scholarships and mentorship programs, including funding the SIP Scholars program via donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual gathering of more than 500 women at SIPosium
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered corporate partner, annual sponsor and core partner.

• 15 Starscorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting the Bourbon Women mission through sponsorship and community engagement.
• Angels Envycorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing support for Bourbon Women events and initiatives.
• Beam Distillingannual sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual sponsor with partnership, event and SIP sponsorship benefits. Listed as a 2026 Annual Sponsor providing support for the organization's mission.
• New Riff Distillingannual sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual sponsor with partnership, event and SIP sponsorship benefits. Listed as a 2026 Annual Sponsor supporting Bourbon Women events and initiatives.
• Whiskey Thiefannual sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual sponsor providing event and SIP sponsorship benefits as part of the 2026 Annual Sponsor cohort.
• Hard Truthannual sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual sponsor with partnership, event and SIP sponsorship benefits. Part of the 2026 Annual Sponsor program.
• Heaven Hill Distillerycorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Kentucky bourbon distillery and corporate partner supporting Bourbon Women programs and events.
• Michter'scorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium bourbon brand and corporate partner in the Bourbon Women partner network.
• Garrison Brotherscorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerTexas bourbon distillery and corporate partner supporting Bourbon Women initiatives.
• Bardstown Bourbon Companycorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerBardstown-based bourbon producer and corporate partner with product donations for events.
• Art Eatablescorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing special Bourbon Women member discounts on bourbon-themed chocolates.
• Bourbon Women Foundationcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bourbon Women Education Foundation (BW Foundation) funds the SIP Scholars program through donations, providing scholarships and mentorship for women in the bourbon industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Women of the Vine & Spirits: Global nonprofit membership organization empowering women in the wine and spirits industry through education, networking, mentorship, and career development. The closest direct peer: same female-focused demographic, same industry alignment, same programmatic model (membership, conferences, scholarships).
• Scotch Malt Whisky Society: Established UK-based members-only whisky club with global chapters, subscription-based membership, exclusive single-cask bottlings, regional tasting events, and a magazine. Most analogous spirits-membership operating model worldwide.
• The Whisky Society: Subscription-based spirits tasting club and community with curated tasting events, newsletters, and regional member gatherings. Operates a similar membership + tasting + content stack targeted at spirit enthusiasts.

Emerging players

• The Bourbon Review: Bourbon-focused digital media and events brand covering bourbon news, reviews, tastings, and enthusiast community. Overlapping consumer bourbon audience and event programming though primarily editorial rather than membership-association based.
• Chilled Magazine: Spirits and cocktail lifestyle publication with consumer events, education content, and brand activations targeting spirit enthusiasts. Adjacent audience and editorial + events programming similar to BW's content + SIPosium stack.
• Ladies of American Whiskey: Women-focused whiskey enthusiast community and event series with tasting gatherings and brand partnerships. Closest demographic peer: same female-American-whiskey positioning and event-driven engagement model.

Regional players

• Kentucky Bourbon Trail: The Kentucky Distillers' Association's bourbon destination program uniting distillery experiences, tours, tastings, and a passport program for enthusiasts. Broader scope (all bourbon tourists vs. women-only) and tourism destination rather than membership association, but a comparable bourbon-engagement funnel.

Others

• Whisky Magazine: Global spirits publication covering whisky culture, distillery news, tastings, and enthusiast events. Industry adjacent (publisher rather than membership association) but reaches a comparable enthusiast demographic.
• Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET): Global provider of accredited spirits and wine education, certifications, and courses with consumer and professional tracks. Adjacent via whiskey education but operates as a credentialing body rather than a membership community.

Broad incumbents

• Wine Enthusiast Companies: Large multi-channel drinks media and commerce brand spanning wine, spirits, beer, and lifestyle content with events, e-commerce, and reviews. Much broader scope than BW and an incumbent media-adjacent player in the enthusiast space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/17841400868188743
• Facebookfacebook.com/BourbonWomen
• TikToktiktok.com/@bourbonwomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bourbon Women Association